Sunday, August 28, 2011

When Jesus calls us to follow him, he really means us to follow: he invites us to take up a life of self-giving, sacrificial love, to live a transformed, Christly life in the power of the Spirit as Paul describes in Romans.

Sisters and brothers, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Our lives are made up of choices, small and large, conscious and unconscious, which determine the shape and direction of life. The metaphor of crossroads is one which tends to work well for me, that many times every day we find ourselves at a crossroads, where we have to decide what the next direction will be for us. Sometimes these decisions look unimportant at the time but later, in retrospect, they were momentous shifts of direction. Other times we struggle with a decision that seems immensely important only later to discover it wasn’t such a big difference after all. Earlier in the book of Jeremiah than today’s reading, in chapter 6 the prophet uses this metaphor: “Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16

This verse has become an important one in my discipleship, and it came to mind again this week as we see Peter’s struggles with Jesus’ view of what it means to be a Messiah (and by extension, what that means for followers of a Messiah like Jesus.) Peter’s joyful and confident declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, which we heard last week, is followed by his awkward rebuke of Jesus for describing the path of the Messiah as one of suffering and death. It’s as if Jesus and Peter are at a crossroads, and both agree that Jesus is the anointed one of God. But Jesus knows that means one path, and Peter thinks the other path is the more appropriate one.

I’m glad that Matthew doesn’t call Jesus’ response to Peter a “rebuke” as Mark does. Matthew seems to better understand Peter’s confusion and not need to hit him while he’s down. That’s hopeful, because I suspect we’d be pointing down the same path as Peter, were we to be looking at those crossroads with Jesus ourselves.

Of course, if we are followers of Jesus as we claim, that implies we are following Jesus. Willing to go where he goes. To take road of the cross as we stand at the crossroads and look for the good way. Because that’s what we need to learn most of all – that the path of Jesus, the road of the cross, is the right turn, it is the “good way” Jeremiah talks about. Jesus says it looks like a way of losing our lives, but in fact it is how we gain everything. It is the way of life, and rest for our souls, even if sometimes it looks anything but restful and life-giving.

So it’s important we understand Peter and Jesus and what’s at stake here.

Peter’s confession last week was a wonderful moment for him. He finally figured out who Jesus was, the Messiah, God’s Son. It’s not surprising that he expected such a person would have a career of success. Jesus’ teachings and certainly his healings and other miracles had convinced Peter that Jesus was God’s Son. Why wouldn’t he expect that Jesus would continue to show his power and continue to do well, eventually leading Israel to freedom? And Jesus praised him for his insight, said it was from God, and promised to build this new thing called “church” on Peter’s confession.

Jesus now simply needs to refocus Peter – and perhaps himself – on the idea that his Messiahship is not one of victory and power. This begins the downward turn of the story of Jesus’ ministry. As Matthew says, “From this time on,” Jesus began to let the disciples in on what he saw as his future.

It’s clear to Jesus that the resistance he’s beginning to receive will only go in one direction, especially if he is committed to non-violence and to a way which doesn’t use his divine power to his advantage. The struggle in his temptations in the desert at the start of his ministry now comes to reality. And his commitment then is as now – he will do this work as Messiah without recourse to his divine power and authority for protection.

But Jesus also wants his followers, his disciples, to know what they’re signing up for. So he starts to warn them of his future, of his path that will lead to suffering and death. If they are to discipline themselves by his standards, truly follow him, they will also need to make choices which set aside power, which live by non-violence, which incarnate God’s mercy and love even if they are opposed.

And this is the true meaning of Jesus’ invitation to take up his cross – for them, and for us. It’s not what many people seem to think when they use the phrase “my cross to bear”: for many, it means tragedy one suffers, difficulty that is unavoidable, even problematic other people.

That’s not what Jesus means. He means that all who seek to follow him are called to commit to make decisions at each crossroads of life which are like Jesus’ – self-giving, sacrificially loving, peace-making, grace-giving, mercy-making. And when we take such paths, it’s often inconvenient at the least, and sometimes truly causes us suffering. There’s a reason Jesus says today it looks like losing life, not gaining it. But it’s the path Jesus takes, so it’s the path we’re called to follow ourselves.

The beauty of the Lectionary is that today Paul essentially is describing that way of the cross for us, as he describes the transformed life of a follower of such a Messiah.

The first eleven chapters of Romans are Paul’s declaration that all – Jews and Gentiles – are included in God’s justifying grace. Now he describes what life in that grace looks like. Last week he began, “Therefore” – Paul’s great transition word – Therefore: “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Therefore, since we have such grace, such forgiveness, since we cannot be separated from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, which was and is ours even when we are still sinners, therefore – we are called to discern God’s will and learn what this transformed life is like.

The next couple chapters are beautiful descriptions of such a life. They describe life down the path Jesus takes at the crossroads. What isn’t as evident in most English translations is that in these verses today are not imperative verbs, they are indicative, present tense participles for the most part. Paul’s not saying “Do this, be that.” He’s saying this: “Genuine love (non-hypocritical love, literally), is as follows.” And then he describes it. This section today is a similar construction, then, to his great love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13. And this is “genuine love”:

It is hating what is evil, and holding fast to what is good; love is loving one another with mutual affection and outdong one another in showing honor. Love is not lagging in zeal, it’s being aflame in spirit, it’s serving the Lord. Love is rejoicing in hope, being patient in suffering, and persevering in prayer. And love is contributing to the needs of the saints and extending hospitality to strangers.

All of this is a beautiful description of the Christian life. But it’s not an easy way to live. Every one of those characteristics requires attention at crossroad decisions, choosing a way of Christ rather than a way more consistent with our human nature.

How hard is it for any of us, for example, to outdo one another in showing honor? We want people to like us, honor us – yet Paul says that we shouldn’t think about that, rather, genuine love is focusing on making sure we honor others. How about being patient in suffering? How hard is that for us, to be patient and not complain to others? These are hard things – and that’s only the first half of the list, the easy half.

The way of the cross is not always easy, and there are lots of possibilities for people to take advantage of us when we live it. At verse 14, these possibilities become very real. Love is not repaying evil for evil, Paul says. Love is blessing those who are hard on you. That’s a hard way to live, a risky way. Love is overcoming evil with good, Paul says, and keeping away from vengeance. And as far as it depends on you, love is living peaceably with all. Life lived that way has no guarantees, Paul suggests, that the other will also be peaceable. If we live on this pathway, we are committed to living peaceably. Even if others are not.

And all this can be very difficult. To say nothing of potentially harming.

Which is why we look at Paul’s words in light of Jesus’ invitation: we are to follow Jesus, which means Jesus is with us on the path.

We’re not the pioneers of the path, Hebrews says, we’re following the pioneer, who “perfects” this for us, makes it complete. It is our Lord who makes this transformed life possible and hopeful. “Be transformed,” Paul said – it’s done to us by the Spirit of God given us by Jesus. So this is the shape of the Spirit’s work in us, that we are given the strength to walk the path of Christ, to make the choices we are called to make. And we have the joy that as we do so, we are following in Jesus’ footsteps, with him as our guide, our strength, our help.

And we are with each other – we walk on the path together and help each other. This is a key way that we are the Body to each other, and the presence of God, as guide, support, fellow travelers.

And we also have the promise that Jesus will always keep looking for lost sheep, so even if we make a misstep, a wrong turn, Jesus is going to find us and bring us home. So there isn’t ever a time for us to panic that we’ve taken the wrong path at the crossroads. It’s then that we need to sit down on the path, confess our sins, and ask our Lord to lead us to the right way.

The beauty of Jesus’ path at the crossroads is that it is, as Jeremiah suggests, the path of life and all good.

No matter how challenging it is to live as Paul describes, no matter if it looks like we’re losing, as Jesus suggests, when we do we find ourselves living a life worth living, a life connected to the love of God in Jesus and enriching and grace-filled with those around us. Imagine if everyone we knew and met and lived and worked with shared these characteristics – the world would be a beautiful place.

That’s not where it is yet. But Paul seems to think that it’s enough to focus on our own crossroads, “as far as it depends on us,” he’d say. Jesus may be calling to others to take up crosses and follow him in such life and joy. In fact, he certainly is. But all we are called to do anything about are the paths down which he invites us, the transformed life in the Spirit that he offers, the life lived in the grace and forgiveness he died and rose to bring.

Stand at the crossroads, the prophet says, and ask for the ancient paths, the good ways. It turns out Jesus is already on them, and inviting us to follow.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

My dear departed mother, a very wise woman, often told me, “You need to spend more time on your hands and knees in church.” Responding to her lifelong wishes, I came to work as sexton in the house of the Lord.

A sexton is an officer of the church, charged with the maintenance of its buildings and/or the surrounding grounds. In smaller places of worship, this office is often combined with that of verger.

Historically in North America and the United Kingdom the "sexton" was sometimes a minor municipal official responsible for overseeing the town graveyard. In the United Kingdom the position still exists today, related to management of the community's graveyard, and the sexton is usually employed by the town/parish or community council.

The word "sexton” derives from the Old English Sexestein, sextein, through the French sacristain from Latin sacrista. The Medieval Latin word sacristanus means "custodian of sacred objects". "Sexton" represents the popular development of the word, via the Old French, Segrestein, from Latin Sacristanus - "Sacristan". In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the gravedigger refers to himself as sexton. I refer to myself as Mount Olive’s faithful servant.

From our Second Reading for this Sunday, the words from Romans 12:11-13 explain my job responsibilities perfectly. “Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, and serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer." Many times while fixing a toilet, troubleshooting the boilers, or shoveling snow; I have experienced all of this.

The text also says in verse 13, “Contribute to the needs of the saints.”

I believe many of you here at Mount Olive are saints, and the rest of you are very close. I know each one of you are very special to me, and I look forward to serving you with the gifts the Lord has bestowed upon me.

“Extend hospitality to strangers.”

I also believe I have a public responsibility as Sexton of Mount Olive. I am the community eyepiece, and represent you the Mount Olive community, to the neighbors, community, and people walking by on the sidewalk. As the text reveals, it is one of my duties to “extend hospitality to strangers.”

Many times while I have been working outside, pulling weeds or mowing lawns, neighbors and passers by have stopped to talk to me, perhaps curious to get a glimpse of what Mount Olive is really all about and who you, the parishioners, might be. Hopefully I have represented you honestly, and have done very well at this most important responsibility.

Hebrews 13:2-3 says it very nicely. “Remember to welcome strangers, because some who have done this have welcomed angels without knowing it.”

As a final thought on the duties and responsibilities of Sexton at Mount Olive, let me quote Galatians 6:10. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

You - the parishioners here at Mount Olive - are the family of believers. I am your faithful sexton.

-William Pratley

Lost and Found

There are several items which have accumulated in the lost and found box. These items will be on display on the table in the coat room, near the small kitchen, waiting for their owners to claim them next Sunday. Items left unclaimed will be donated to charity. Thanks for giving this your attention.

Book Discussion Group

For its meeting on September 10 the Book Discussion Group will read Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison. And for the October 8 meeting they will read Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton.

Did You Know …

… that MONAC is now serving Community Meals twice a month at Mount Olive? The second meal is served on the 3rd Saturday of the month. Although mid-month meals have just begun, attendance has increased, which is an indication of the need for this kind of service.

If the Spirit moves you to be involved in this ministry, this is a perfect opportunity! Food preparation begins several hours before serving time (Noon to 1 pm). During that hour, volunteers dish up food, serve beverages, etc. Mount Olive workers, when having their lunch, are encouraged to sit and converse with the people from the community. Naturally, clean-up follows the meal and volunteers are needed for this, too. You may choose to work during the whole or any part of this operation, on either the first or third Saturday of the month. Those who have been involved in this ministry find it a rewarding experience, and enjoy the camaraderie with fellow workers. No need to sign up or give notice, just come!

Seminar at Sea

Please join Pastor Joseph and Mary Crippen for a Seminar at Sea, sailing in the beautiful Caribbean Sea for 7 days. Pr. Crippen will provide three lectures on “Jesus, the Rapture, and the End Times,” and participants will have a short reading list in preparation.

For full information and details, call Tom Olsen at 952-929-9781, or speak with him at church.

Beyond Peacocks and Paisleys Textile Exhibition

Please join us after worship this Sunday, August 28, for a visit to the Goldstein Museum. Mount Olive member Don Johnson has collected textiles from the Indian subcontinent (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan) for 50 years and a selection of pieces from his collection forms the exhibit "Beyond Peacocks & Paisleys: Handmade Textiles of India and its Neighbors."

Don will be available to give tours of the exhibit elaborating on the pieces displayed. His collection is fascinating. We will depart after the service on Sunday and have lunch at India Palace in Roseville before proceeding to the Goldstein Museum to view the exhibit.

If you would like to attend, please let Carol Peterson or the church office know by Sunday, August 21 so we can get an accurate count of who would be attending and get details to you of event logistics.

MFA’s 2011-2012 Series

Mount Olive Music and Fine Arts has an exciting series planned for this year. Brochures for the upcoming season should arrive in the mail near the beginning of September.

The season kicks off with a concert by the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet on Sunday, September 25 at 4 p.m.

Music and Fine Arts Committee members will be on hand between liturgies on Sundays, September 11 and 18, seeking your support of this year’s series. Please be generous!

Vote for Donna!

Our own Donna Neste is on the slate of nominees for the election of Board Members for Bread for the World. This organization is widely known for its work to alleviate hunger, particularly by advocating for the poor. Donna has been actively involved in the work of BFW as well as other organizations that work to eliminate hunger for several years. She would be a great asset to BFW as a Board member, and we can help bring that about by voting for her! In your July/August Bread for the World Newsletter, there is a printed ballot, or you can go online at www.bread.org/boardvote to cast your vote.

First Sunday Food Ingathering

Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries (MONAC) continues its monthly ingathering of non-perishable food items for area food shelves. On the first Sunday of each month, worshippers are encouraged to bring food items to church and place them in the grocery cart in the coat room. They will be delivered to our local food shelves. MONAC also receives donations of travel-sized toiletries to be distributed to area homeless persons. These can also be placed in the coat area in the box provided. Thanks for your support!

Attention Greeters (and those who might be interested in serving as such):

There will be two informational meetings held between services on Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 for all those who currently are greeters, and also those who might be interested in serving in this capacity. As worship leadership and worship servant rosters have changed over the years, so have some past practices. All worship servants are going through similar training and information sessions so that we're all performing our duties with consistency. Please consider attending one of these two sessions. Each session will be brief and will cover the same topics. Plan on meeting after the first liturgy at 9:30 at the rear of the nave. We request that every greeter attempt to attend one or both sessions.

Respectfully,
Brian Jacobs, Greeter coordinator

Grief Support Group

The South Minneapolis Coalition for Grief Support Fall series runs from September 29 – December 8 at Walker Methodist Health Center, 3737 Bryant Ave. So. Minneapolis, MN 55409 (612-827-5931). Look for the schedule of speakers and further information at www.trustinc.org,

Holy Land Tour

Members of Mount Olive have an opportunity to visit the Holy Land this winter, Dec. 27, 2011 – Jan. 7, 2012, along with Vicar Erik Doughty, members of Edina Community Lutheran, and Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer. Pastors Mary Albing and Erik Strand will guide and teach; there will be opportunity to visit Christmas Lutheran and talk with their pastor, Rev. Mitri Raheb. The tour will also include a visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust remembrance site; as well as Jericho, Galilee, the Dead Sea, and more. Cost is approximately $3395 per person. For more information, contact Rev. Mary Albing at 612-926-5414, or lccr@me.com.

Study Participants Needed!

I am a doctoral student in psychology at the University of St. Thomas and I am conducting a research study focusing on the presence of growth following a traumatic experience. The purpose of the study is to hear the stories of individuals who have not only overcome trauma, but discovered personal growth. This “posttraumatic growth” may occur in relationships, spirituality, appreciation of life, personal strength, and new possibilities. Experiences of trauma undoubtedly result in difficulties. The exploration of positive reactions to trauma does not negate that reality; instead my intent is to gain an understanding of the full experience. As a result, your compelling story may bring hope to others in pain and enable therapists to provide better care to those who have experienced trauma.

Participation in this study involves completing two short inventories and an interview. Overall, the time commitment is approximately 1.5 hours. Information you provide will be kept completely anonymous and confidential. If you have experienced growth following a difficult time in life and would be willing to share your story, please contact me.

Beginning Sunday, September 11, and continuing through May 20, 2012, Mount Olive will resume its regular Sunday worship schedule: two liturgies each Sunday morning at 8:00 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday church school resumes that day as well.

Next Olive Branch Deadline

The deadline for information to be published in the next issue of The Olive Branch is Tuesday, September 5. If you have information to be published in that newsletter, please be sure it is in to the church office by then. Beginning with the September 5 issue, The Olive Branch returns to weekly publication until next summer.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Jesus established the Church to continue his mission as Messiah, that we might bring God’s healing grace incarnate into the world, to the very gates of death, and like our Lord, even death cannot stand against it.

Sisters and brothers, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

My grandmother, who died at the age of 97, spent at least 80 of those years as a member of our home congregation, St. Matthew’s, and for something like 50 or 60 years lived across the street from it. For Grandma, church was that congregation. She didn’t pay any attention that I could see to denominations or structures. Church was her church. Others had theirs.

That’s something of a limited understanding of what church is, but it’s common. Some take it a step further than the local congregation and imagine that their group, association, denomination is what is meant by “church.” And so our own Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is completing today a week of meeting as a Churchwide Assembly, doing our work on our behalf, doing work of the church. Sometimes we think that’s only what “the church” is, but that, too, is a limited understanding.

And then there are some who struggle with “church,” people who would describe themselves as “spiritual” or perhaps even identify as believers in God, but who utterly reject anything that looks like what they would call church. Given the sins of the institutional Church throughout history we can understand such reluctance. It’s easy to criticize institutions because institutions can often act in sinful ways, even ones who call themselves Christian.

This week I’ve been thinking about what we mean by “church,” both those who might have too small a definition or those who want nothing to do with the church, because of what happens in our Gospel today. As Peter confesses that he believes Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God, Jesus declares he will create his Church on that confession, and on the testimony of believers wherever they answer the question “who do you say that I am?” Matthew’s the only Evangelist to use the word “church,” and he only uses it twice, but his witness here is that Jesus established the Church himself, with clear intention and call. And Jesus has big plans for this church he is making, to bind and loose, to proclaim his good news even in the face of death.

So whatever we might want to do with the concept of “church,” we begin today realizing that it is Jesus with whom we have to deal, and Jesus whom we must understand.

By its very name, the Church is shown to be called out from the world, to be an ecclesia.

That’s the word used here – and ecclesia literally means “called out.” Jesus called his disciples, and by extension, us, out of the world to learn from him, to gather as a community of faith, to support and encourage one another.

Because Jesus established the Church, that means the Church is not simply a voluntary association or club, or a means to achieve a common goal, or even simply a place for individuals to come and believe. We are established as Church by our Lord and Savior to whom we look for all our life and our good. We cannot be Christians without the Church because Jesus didn’t create disciples without also creating the Church.

And so in our ancient Creeds that we speak to this day the Church’s existence is an article of faith: “We believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.” We believe in this Church Jesus has made, we confess it as his gift, his grace, his idea. Jesus believed the Church was necessary to his mission as the Messiah, and so established it. And it is from there we begin our life, our work, our mission, our faith, our call. So for better or for worse we cannot do without the Church. We don’t have the authority to say we don’t need it.

It might be helpful to recall Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4. He says we carry the treasure of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in clay jars, “so that it may be clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.”

The Church as it is structured is just such a clay jar, and it’s flawed, easily broken. But it contains the living Body of Christ, it provides a place to bring the Good News to the world, and because it is flawed and broken, we are constantly reminded that the power of the Gospel comes from and belongs to God and not from us, no matter how well we think of ourselves.

And though some of us think our own individual jars are the only ones that matter, and some look at the brokenness of the jars and reject the grace they contain, it’s still out of our hands whether we are the Church or not. Christ established the Church, and to the best of our ability we’ve structured how we work together, for 2,000 years. And those structures, those jars themselves are not living, but they do enable the living, breathing Church within to live and thrive.

At the same time, we cannot hide from the sins of the Church, for they are our sins, too, and they are always in need of confessing. There is always need for reform of structures, for prayer, for renewed sense of mission. And for confession and openness to the correction of the Holy Spirit.

And because Jesus has established his Church and included all his disciples, what others in the Church around the world say about faith, life, worship, mission, matters to us – whether they live now or are part of the great tradition of the Church which has come before us. We may not always agree, and we do believe the Spirit of God continues to guide and shape us through the Holy Scriptures, but we always must account for each other, listen to each other, pray for and with each other, and see each other as sisters and brothers, for that is what our Lord has made us in Baptism.

And fundamentally, after all this we have to remember one thing about the Church of Christ: we are called out of the world, yes, but we are not called out for ourselves. Nor do we stay out of the world.

You see, there’s something funny going on here with this ecclesia Jesus is creating. It doesn’t seem Jesus means it to stay out of the world.

Did you notice that Jesus says that the gates of Hades cannot prevail against this ecclesia, this community that is called out? I’ve often interpreted that as the powers of evil cannot overcome, overwhelm the Church. As if we are that house on a rock of Jesus’ parable, standing firm in the midst of storm and strife, called out of the evil world, safe and protected by Jesus. Many of our hymns, including our first one today, use this metaphoric imagery. “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

Except that’s not what Jesus is saying here. Elsewhere, sure. But not here. The gates of Hades will not prevail against the Church, Jesus says.

Gates don’t travel, my friends. Gates that don’t prevail – that’s an image of a siege which fails, a battering ram which breaks down doors in a walled city. Do you see? The gates of Hades will not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ. The Church is the one challenging the gates. Jesus says he’s sending us to the very gates of Hades, we’re the ones on the move; he’s not blocking us off in a protected enclave.

So we need a brief stop on the word Hades – it’s not hell as the Church has evolved the idea. Matthew’s word here is simply the Greek term “Hades,” which, like the Hebrew term “Sheol” was the place of the dead. Not necessarily punishment, just the place people go when they die.

And so Jesus proclaims that he will send us to the very doors of death in our mission to bind and loose, to proclaim the coming kingdom of God. And even death won’t be able to stop our mission. Death’s doors will be broken.

That’s kind of a different way of looking at it, isn’t it? Kind of exciting. Kind of frightening. It’s the difference between staying in your lighted, bright room in an utterly dark night and going outside with a flashlight to face the darkness and find people who need that light.

And this is hugely important to our sense of who we are here. For we are not to think of ourselves in this room as locked in a fortress where we cannot be harmed. Here we are called out from the world – an ecclesia – to be fed, taught, guided, blessed; to worship almighty God and be made holy through God’s presence here. And then we are sent out – for that is what the word “apostles” means – and we are sent to the doors of death.

And we understand that intimately in our own experience here – in the past two weeks two of our own have died suddenly, without warning, and we have done our best to surround their families with our love and our prayers and our support. We have, and will continue to walk with them and with each other again and again to the very doors of death and proclaim death has no power over this world, over our loved ones, over us. And just yesterday we had another community meal, where we opened our doors to those of our neighbors who are hungry, as we do now twice a month, and fed in Christ’s name, and offered life in a world that is hungry and often near death. In so many ways in this place we stand at the doors of death proclaiming the life that Jesus has given us and the world, that those doors cannot stand.

But Jesus didn’t only establish Mount Olive congregation in Matthew 16. He apparently believed that all his disciples were the Church, all his disciples were called out of the world and then sent back into the world.

And so everywhere in the world where disciples of Jesus gather in ecclesia it is the same. Local communities, members of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, have their gifts and abilities and are sent to serve as apostles in their place.

But together, as groups of communities, denominations, communions, all are members of Christ’s one, true Church on earth, and are joined in our work and prayers by those who have gone before us.

And given that we are sent to the very gates of death, it would be wise for us to keep these broader understandings of Christ’s Church before us – we can use all the help we can get. I don’t think Paul’s words to the Romans today are just meant for us to see each individual person as members of one another in the Body of Christ. In Jesus’ great vision of his Church, individuals, congregations, communions, are all members with differing functions, differing gifts. And all part of the one Body, the Church of Jesus Christ.

Where this leaves us today is that in recognizing not only our call but the Body of Christ, we now pray for guidance on how to continue Jesus’ work.

Jesus spends a lot of time binding and loosing in Matthew’s Gospel – interpreting Scriptures by the grace of God he came to bring, saying “you have heard it said, but I say to you;” offering grace and forgiveness and healing even to outsiders, foreigners; offering himself to the world as the One who has utterly broken the doors of death.

What is daunting is that he apparently believes we must continue in this work. Always mindful of our sisters and brothers who are engaged elsewhere in this task, we are called here to get up as his Church and go back into the world to bring the reign of God to fruition. Called out of the world as ecclesia we are now sent back as apostles as God heals the world through this Church. In this place each of us has differing gifts which each contributes to the mission, and this congregation itself has differing gifts from other communities of faith around the world, but all of us are part of Jesus’ greater mission and plan. And the power to do this mission, this plan, comes from Jesus who made it, not from us.

So let’s get up and pray that the Spirit show us where we are to go next. Because even the gates of death cannot stop the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ once we get going.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Accent on Worship God’s graciousness and generosity is a theme that runs through all the Scripture readings for Ordinary Time: Sunday 20. The Creator of all is portrayed as a God who is not impressed by labels. Not only Israel will know the salvation of the Lord, but all are invited to be a part of the blessing. Isaiah shows us a God who calls all peoples and defines God’s people as those who do justice and live according to the Covenant. “I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.”

Paul writes in Romans about God’s eternal mercy in order to assuage the worries of the Israelites, who were wondering if God had rejected them because of their original rejection of Jesus. Who better to tell them of the Lord’s mercy than Paul, who not only rejected Jesus, but persecuted his followers? This mercy that Paul writes of is for everyone. “For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all” (italics mine).

I believe that Jesus himself had to walk his own faith journey, just like the rest of us. This Sunday’s Gospel reflects a new direction in his journey, a point where he comes closer to the concept of God’s mercy, grace and salvation for all people and all creation. Jesus had just finished explaining to his apostles that it is not the religious practices of a person that makes one pure, but the intentions that flow from the heart. A woman who was considered unclean, because she was not a Jew and did not practice rituals of purification then approached him. Despite her lack of religion, her faith was deeper than most who grew up steeped in the beliefs, the practices and the rituals of the Jews. Jesus himself was put to the test. He literally argued with the woman, who begged for healing for her daughter. Few have been shown to be more clever than Jesus. That is what exasperated his detractors. However, this Canaanite woman won the argument. Her inspiration came from the Spirit. Jesus, the Son of God, could respond in only one way, with mercy. He healed her daughter.

Elizabeth A Johnson, a Catholic theologian writes in her book, Quest for the Living God, “There is no end to the being and fullness of God, who creates heaven and earth and is continuously present and active throughout the world, in all ages and all cultures.”

Gail Nielsen cordially invites all women to her home for a Garden Luncheon on Wednesday, August 17, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Men are welcome, too! There is no charge for the luncheon, but a freewill offering will be received to help defray the cost of the food.

Please RSVP to Gail Nielsen if you are interested in coming, 612.825.9326 – feel free to leave a message.

Attention Greeters (and those who might be interested in serving as such):

There will be two informational meetings held between services on Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 for all those who currently are greeters, and also those who might be interested in serving in this capacity. As worship leadership and worship servant rosters have changed over the years, so have some past practices. All worship servants are going through similar training and information sessions so that we're all performing our duties with consistency. Please consider attending one of these two sessions. Each session will be brief and will cover the same topics. Plan on meeting after the first liturgy at 9:30 at the rear of the nave. We request that every greeter attempt to attend one or both sessions.

Respectfully,
Brian Jacobs,
Greeter coordinator

Seminar at Sea

Please join Pastor Joseph and Mary Crippen for a Seminar at Sea, sailing in the beautiful Caribbean Sea for 7 days. Pr. Crippen will provide three lectures on “Jesus, the Rapture, and the End Times,” and participants will have a short reading list in preparation.

For full information and details, call Tom Olsen at 952-929-9781, or speak with him at church.

Beyond Peacocks and Paisleys Textile Exhibition

Please join us after worship on Sunday, August 28, 2011 for a visit to the Goldstein Museum. Mount Olive member Don Johnson has collected textiles from the Indian subcontinent (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan) for 50 years and a selection of pieces from his collection forms the exhibit "Beyond Peacocks & Paisleys: Handmade Textiles of India and its Neighbors."

Don will be available to give tours of the exhibit elaborating on the pieces displayed. His collection is fascinating. We will depart after the service on Sunday and have lunch at India Palace in Roseville before proceeding to the Goldstein Museum to view the exhibit.

If you would like to attend, please let Carol Peterson or the church office know by Sunday, August 21 so we can get an accurate count of who would be attending and details to you of event logistics.

Book Discussion Group News

For its meeting on August 13, The Book Discussion group will read A Bed of Red Flowers, by Nelofer Pazira.

For the meeting on September 10, they will read Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison.

Farewell Open House

Lutheran Social Services’ President and CEO Mark Peterson, is retiring. All are invited to come and celebrate Mark's 25 years of service to LSS. A brief program will be presented at 5:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

The Open House will be held on Wednesday, August 10, from 5-7 pm at The Center for Changing Lives, 2400 Park Avenue in Minneapolis. For additional information, please contact Lolyann Connor at 651.969.2273 or lolyann.connor@lssmn.org.

Host Homes Neededfor International Students

St. Paul Preparatory School in downtown St. Paul is currently looking for host homes for international students in grades 9-12. Hosting options are available for one to ten months. Families with children, single parents, single adults, and “empty nesters” are all welcome to apply. Host families receive a $300 per student/per month stipend.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Patricia Dahl at 651-698-6471, or send her an email at tregdahl@comcast.net.

Study Participants Needed!

I am a doctoral student in psychology at the University of St. Thomas and I am conducting a research study focusing on the presence of growth following a traumatic experience. The purpose of the study is to hear the stories of individuals who have not only overcome trauma, but discovered personal growth. This “posttraumatic growth” may occur in relationships, spirituality, appreciation of life, personal strength, and new possibilities. Experiences of trauma undoubtedly result in difficulties. The exploration of positive reactions to trauma does not negate that reality; instead my intent is to gain an understanding of the full experience. As a result, your compelling story may bring hope to others in pain and enable therapists to provide better care to those who have experienced trauma.

Participation in this study involves completing two short inventories and an interview. Overall, the time commitment is approximately 1.5 hours. Information you provide will be kept completely anonymous and confidential. If you have experienced growth following a difficult time in life and would be willing to share your story, please contact me.
Sarah Cherwien, MA
612-308-8721
secherwien@stthomas.edu

MFA’s 2011-2012 Series

Mount Olive Music and Fine Arts has an exciting series planned for this year. Brochures for the upcoming season should arrive in the mail near the beginning of September.

The season kicks off with a concert by the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet on Sunday, September 24 at 4 p.m.

Music and Fine Arts Committee members will be on hand between liturgies on Sundays, September 11 and 18, seeking your support of this year’s series. Please be generous!

First Sunday Food Ingathering

Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries (MONAC) continues its monthly ingathering of non-perishable food items for area food shelves. On the first Sunday of each month, worshippers are encouraged to bring food items to church and place them in the grocery cart in the coat room. They will be delivered to our local food shelves.

MONAC also receives donations of travel-sized toiletries to be distributed to area homeless persons. These can also be placed in the coat area in the box provided.

Sisters and brothers, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AmenThis is the one I like. If we are permitted to have a favorite miracle of Jesus, this is it for me – Jesus walking on water. Ever since I was a child, this miracle has captured my imagination. I can still remember the Arch book of this story, and call the pictures to mind. If I could travel back in time, this would be one of the first things I’d want to see for myself.

This is not the one many biblical scholars like. Some find it cheap, magical – too legendary for their taste. This one gets the metaphoric label pretty quickly, that the evangelists are trying to show Jesus’ divine power, and make this story of his power over water, thus tying him to the Biblical witness that the God of Israel was the one who had power over water, the symbol of chaos to the ancient Hebrews.

I’m sorry, but I can’t agree with that. I think Jesus himself was tying his ministry to the God of Israel, whom he called “Father,” and quite literally did walk on water. Thus showing that indeed he did have power over water, just as they expected from the one true God.

Given that in the sorting out of the Gospels, a lot of the more magical sounding stories didn’t make the canonical cut over the first centuries, I suspect the early Church remembered this as witnessed event, not metaphorical imagery. This is no less magical a story than the apocryphal story that was not included in Scripture but surely was a popular one in the first century where it was heard, that when Joseph cut a board too short one day the child Jesus simply lengthened it. No, we can assume the evangelists and the early Church knew what they were doing, and this story, this one was consistently remembered from believing community to believing community as one which actually happened. And I know I’ve said this in a forum here before, but think about it: if our problem with this story is its implausibility – how can someone walk on water – then we’ve got far greater issues with our proclamation. After all, we proclaim that this Jesus is the very Son of God, who rose from the dead, who was present at the creation of the universe and participating in that creation, among other things. Compared to those actions, walking on the water is pretty small potatoes.

But I wonder if my time machine solution is also problematic. Well, of course I don’t wonder if I could actually find a working time machine. I’m hopeful, but it probably won’t happen in my lifetime, and then people would also be tempted to misuse it. No, what I’m wondering is whether or not seeing it in person would actually make a huge difference in my faith. From my childhood until now I’ve assumed it would. But if you look at what happens here, all Jesus’ walking on water does is frighten the disciples. It doesn’t inspire faith – it does the opposite. Which means perhaps Jesus has a different agenda as our Lord and Savior than impressing us with overtly divine actions. Perhaps Jesus understands that in the end, they don’t create the faith he is seeking from us. And if that’s the case, perhaps we need to rethink this whole thing.

It’s funny if this is true, however. We tend to assume that our faith would be stronger if we saw things others were privileged to see.

But in fact we have two stories today which show that isn’t necessarily the case. This story of Jesus and Peter, and walking (or not walking) on water is clearly one. Peter ought to have walked with no problem, given that Jesus invited him to do so, and given that his first steps showed that he could. But he looks around, and starts to sink. And Jesus gives him a new nickname. No longer “Rocky,” he calls Peter “Little Faith.” Not exactly one you hope to have stick. Peter’s faith is actually not strengthened by seeing Jesus’ power firsthand, and even experiencing it. He still sinks into the waves.

But Elijah’s not much better. The context is that he has just had his major victory as a prophet – the whole episode of Elijah versus the 400 prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel (another one of my favorites as a child) was a huge vindication of his connection to the true God, and that’s what just happened before today’s story.

The sacrifice of the prophets of Baal remained intact after hours of chanting and screaming at Baal to burn it. Elijah takes a higher degree of difficulty, pouring gallons upon gallons of water over his altar and sacrifice, and in one explosive torching, God’s fire burns the whole thing, animal, wood, stones, water, to dust.

It ends somewhat badly we have to say – Elijah has the 400 prophets put to death. But it’s still his signature prophetic moment. Yet when Queen Jezebel in fury signs his death warrant, Elijah flees to the wilderness and mopes that he’s all alone.

Enter the one true God, who wonders, justifiably, what Elijah’s doing out in the wilderness moping instead of doing his job as a prophet. Simply put, we think that if we’d have seen things like Elijah saw – that altar incident alone would have been pretty impressive – we’d be so much stronger in our faith. But even here – after he is given a second gift of experiencing the presence of God – he still repeats that he’s all alone.

This is pretty important. Theophanies, experiences of God, tend to be expected to look like the three events Elijah first sees – great wind, earthquake, fire. Moses had experiences like that on this mountain, and so did the whole nation of Israel. But God wasn’t in those events for Elijah.

God did, however, come to Elijah in a quiet, whispering voice. Do you get that? God spoke to Elijah in person, in an audible, if quiet voice. We’d love to know what that would be like, experience it ourselves.

And yet, when given a second chance to answer why he was moping in the wilderness instead of doing his job, Elijah repeats his complaint. It’s as if it doesn’t matter to him that he’s just been in the presence of God, that God has spoken to him. It doesn’t appear to have strengthened his faith at all. And he subsequently loses his job – part of God’s answer is to, essentially, fire Elijah and tell him to anoint Elisha as his successor.

So that’s our problem. We read the Scriptures and long to see what those believers saw. But apparently it doesn’t have the effect we think.

We are once more with Thomas and Jesus in the Upper Room a week after the resurrection, and struggling with what evidence we need for faith. And we hear Jesus say, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

And given that the opposite doesn’t seem to have the impact we imagine – who can forget those Pharisees and scribes who didn’t believe in Jesus even after witnessing him raise a four-days-gone dead man to new life – perhaps we might stop thinking of our experience as second best and start listening to Jesus’ answer about where our faith actually is strengthened and nurtured.

In fact, we all have come to faith by the way Jesus really hopes for. It’s not second best – it’s the only way he has in mind.

We find our answer at the end of this Gospel story. When Jesus gets into the boat with the disciples. Then the storm calms. Then he’s no longer a scary figure on the water that makes them think of ghosts. And then they worship him, “truly you are the Son of God.”

If we can make this stretch with the story, it seems faith is found in the boat with Jesus, not looking out at the water for miraculous things to see. It’s Jesus’ way – and part of the reason he often tells people to keep quiet about his miracles.

If he came to restore relationship between the Triune God and the people of the world, then it wouldn’t be by flashy miracles and interventions. It would be by relationship – his with the believers, the searchers, the ones just looking for help.

He teaches, and hopes that we hear and follow his teaching. He welcomes, and hopes we learn from this and model his welcoming. And yes, he heals and does other things, but in that he invites us to show compassion to others even when it’s inconvenient or stressful to us. And he creates a community – the people in the boat with us – to surround us and support us and help us in our faith.

And really, that’s the only way any of us have come to faith, isn’t it? We have come to faith in this boat we call the Church, through all the ways Jesus set up for us to do so. There’s a reason we call this room where we all sit the “nave” – it’s from the Latin for “ship.”

And it is here in the ship of the Church that we have met Jesus, been taught by him about God, and been given the gifts of God for faith – bread and wine in which the very presence of God dwells, water which not only cleanses us but brings us into new life from death, Word which guides and shapes and teaches and comforts and challenges, just as Jesus himself, the true Word, did.

Here, in the boat with Jesus, we marvel at what we know and see, and we worship: “truly you are the Son of God,” we say with the disciples. And it’s not second best. It’s the only way the vast majority of us ever believe at all.

Some still receive visions, miracles – like Peter and Elijah. My mother had one of each – a literal vision of Jesus, and a miraculous working by God which cannot be explained except as miraculous. So far as I know, I have had neither. But the truth is I’m fine with that. I’ve got my theories of why my mother had that privilege and I did not. And I certainly wouldn’t mind it if God saw fit to give me such an experience. But I don’t see it as necessary to faith. If anything, such things seem to complicate the matter, if Elijah and Peter are any guide.

Of course, the boat is not the goal for us, in Jesus’ mind. It’s the place where he has put us together and where he is present. But it’s a boat, and it’s going somewhere. It’s what Paul is saying to the Romans today – there are places we are sent to tell this Good News.

Jesus and the disciples are traveling to another place to do ministry – this time foreign parts, as we’ll see next week. And our nave, our boat, while anchored to the literal earth, is not a sanctuary for us to hide from the world. It is the place of faith-building, the place where we are together with Jesus.

But there are places of ministry we are called to reach – some literally neighbor to our anchored boat, others take a little travel. And we’re going to need to listen to Jesus to find out what our next ministry needs to be.

And we’re not always going to get along inside the boat. The first disciples didn’t, so we shouldn’t expect that. That’s because Jesus fills the boat, not us – he brings in people. Because it’s his boat. But it’s hard, because we naturally want to pick and choose our boatmates, and that’s simply not our call.

And it’s a much bigger boat than just this nave – it’s the whole Church on earth now and throughout time. And that means that there are lots of folks in the boat that we don’t like much.

It’s good that it’s Jesus’ boat, though – it’s the only reason any of us feel at all welcomed either.

And the thing is, Jesus somehow gets what our strengths and abilities are, and brings folks into the boat who have differing gifts and abilities, all so the work that needs doing can be done. The twelve disciples needed Thaddeus for some reason, though whatever gifts he had weren’t noted in Scripture and any contributions he made were similarly kept from us.

Ultimately, as we are strengthened in our faith, we are given the strength to serve as we are called.

And that’s the gift Jesus gives to all believers – not everyone gets a vision or a miracle to see. But everyone gets the strengthening of faith and the gift of the Spirit’s power to do our ministry.And I’ll take that exchange any time. And thank you for sharing this particular boat with me – I look forward to seeing where Jesus will send us.

Sisters and brothers, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

I’ll tell you what the hard part of this amazing story is for me: “You give them something to eat.” The disciples turn to Jesus upon seeing a great need. Thousands are in a lonely place, a wilderness place, because they’ve followed Jesus there. And the sun is going down, and for some reason no one thought to bring a lunch. It’s almost as if these crowds needed to be with Jesus so much that they kept walking far beyond what they expected – like they got up in the morning intending to see Jesus, but be back by suppertime. And in their search for him, they’ve overextended their reach. Now they’re beyond metro areas, with only scattered villages nearby. No fast food, no grocery stores. And no one thought to bring a meal.

So the disciples ask Jesus for help. And he turns to them and says, “You give them something to eat.”

That’s the hard part. Because I love singing the psalm we sang today, that the eyes of all look to God to give them their food in due season. I love thinking of God’s gracious ability to transform a few loaves into a feast for thousands. But I don’t know what it would mean for me, for us, to be a part of this. I don’t know what Jesus wants of us: “you give them something to eat.”

There are lots of hungry people in this world. Thousands die of hunger and hunger related illness every day – tens of thousands. The horn of Africa once more is afflicted by terrible drought and the subsequent famine, worse than in 20 years, and thousands, thousands are dying. Refugees are wandering in the wilderness, not looking for Jesus, just looking for help. And they didn’t bring a lunch because they didn’t have one to bring. And that says nothing about the hungry neighbors we have – people in need all over our country, who are voiceless in our nation’s current self-centered budget debates which seemingly care nothing for those Jesus would call the “least of these.”

And even when I want to pray that frustration to God, to pray “how can our leaders be so careless, so lacking in compassion,” even when I want to blame them, and self-righteously make politicians the scapegoats, I hear Jesus say, “you do something about it.” And I find myself saying, “I’ve got nothing. Nothing I can do that would change this.”

Well, like it or not, we have to understand what this means for us as disciples. We have to grasp that central to this miracle, the only one told by all four Evangelists, is an understanding of Jesus, the very Son of God, that we, his disciples, have something to do. This shouldn’t be a surprise – it’s pretty much Jesus’ way of doing things. Invite people into grace and then send them out to be that grace. It’s just that I can really understand the disciples here, facing likely more than 12,000 hungry people (that’s adding in women and children to the count) with a couple fish and a few loaves. Looking at the problem of hunger in this world today, it seems like the same exercise in overwhelming futility.

The blessing in all this is that Jesus’ charge to the disciples isn’t the only thing he does. It’s important – but seeing the whole picture helps us respond to his call.

It is God’s compassion which dominates today’s Scripture.

In that glorious psalm of praise, we sang “Lord, you are good to all, and your compassion is over all your works.” It is that compassion of God which causes the eyes of all to trust that they can wait upon God, who gives food in due season, who opens his hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing.

And it is the compassion of Jesus which compels him to leave the quiet place he has gone to once more heal, teach, and now feed. There’s a pathos in this story – Jesus is overwhelmed by hearing of John’s death, and needs to get away to a quiet place. We can only imagine the pain he must feel, however close he might or might not have been to his cousin. Jesus certainly is starting to sense resistance at this point, and John’s death only foreshadows for Jesus what eventually he will openly say – that his own ministry will end in death.

And yet the crowds won’t leave him alone – they track him down, even though he took a boat to the quiet place. But beyond his own need, Jesus acts on his compassion. His love for these people leads him to help these helpless crowds. He teaches them. He heals their sicknesses. He sets aside his need for rest and time apart.

But when the disciples come to Jesus as evening falls, hoping that he’d agree that now it was time to move on, Jesus says to the disciples: “You give them something to eat.”

This is a powerful part of his message, and that’s the piece we always need to remember. Ultimately, Jesus didn’t come to feed people with literal food himself – his mission was far bigger than that. Think of how many sick people there were in Palestine at that time whom Jesus never healed. Think of the hungry folks in Galilee who didn’t make this party.

His compassion filled him with a need to help people. But his compassion was a sign of the greater love of God he came to offer the whole world.

And so again and again Jesus reminds the disciples that he is preparing them to continue his work. If there are people needing to be fed, the only way that will happen is if all over the world there are people doing this. If there is healing which needs doing, grace which needs sharing, love which needs to transform the world, it will happen through Jesus’ disciples.

The challenge for any disciples of Jesus is to understand how this will happen. The disciples hoped Jesus would send the crowds away rather than they find a solution. His compassion didn’t permit that. His sense of his mission caused him to give the job of feeding to his disciples.

The disciples responded to Jesus’ call by saying, “We have nothing.” As it turns out, that wasn’t really true. And therein lies the power of Jesus’ grace for the world.

Jesus takes their “nothing” and transforms it into food for thousands.

It’s funny but worth considering: They come to Jesus, knowing they’ve got five loaves and two fish. To them, it’s not enough. And they’re right. But when Jesus says, “you feed them,” they say it out loud. How? We have nothing – well, except for these loaves and fish. They completely discount what they have, what assets are already in their hands.

And that’s critical for us to note. Looking at the shape of the world, the extent of the world’s hunger, to name only one of many problems afflicting God’s people, we can think we’ve got nothing to offer this. So we pray to God, hoping God will do something about it. Hoping, perhaps, that if God handles it we won’t have to.

The disciples actually wanted to avoid the problem altogether – but Jesus’ compassion wouldn’t let them. But he also knew that they had resources he could use to make a difference.

I don’t know if it’s significant, but Jesus never feeds the thousands in this encounter. He gives the food to the disciples. The disciples feed the crowd. He takes their “nothing” and transforms it into something. But he leaves it in their hands to get the work done.

Rather than looking for God’s miraculous intervention, then, our call is to consider what we have, offer it to God for blessing as Jesus did with the bread and the fish, and then share it.

It will cost us something – sacrifice, time, inconvenience. Just as it cost Jesus to leave his much-needed rest. Sacrificial love isn’t always just losing your life – sometimes it’s simpler than that, even though that can be hard to want, too. It will take some organizing, some doing, some planning. Just as the disciples had to get the crowds seated into groups.

But it will be an amazing blessing, to the whole world.

I’m still not sure what exactly Jesus means us to do.

We can start by looking at what we have – even if we think it’s nothing. God has given us assets, gifts, abilities. We may not think they’re enough to deal with the problems of this world. But God does.

And then we can lift them up to God for blessing. God will bless them – but then give them right back to us to share with the world.

So that’s the situation. There are millions, not thousands, who need to eat. But we’ve got compassion. We’ve got assets. And we’ve got God, who is good to all, whose compassion is over all his works, whose hands are open wide, ready to satisfy the needs of every living thing.